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In a new series, Sarah Dillon is a literary detective on the hunt for the story behind the story of how great works were written. She begins with Dickens's masterpiece, Great Expectations.

Begun in 1860, Sarah asks why Dickens was writing it so fast - he finished it in nine and a half months - and why he famously changed the ending. The answers take her on a journey to Dickens's home in Gads Hill in Kent, the office of his magazine All The Year Round in Covent Garden and on a night-walk around the streets of London, where Dickens drew on the energy of the city as inspiration.

Talking to Dickens biographer Michael Slater and scholars Juliet John from Royal Holloway and John Drew from the University of Buckingham, Sarah pieces together how Dickens's most private life is played out in the novel.

And she uncovers the fascinating events behind the writing of it - including an urgent necessity for money, an overwhelming passion, and a relationship that goes to the heart of the deepest psychological needs that Dickens had.

Sunday Feature

20160117

20170402 (R3)

Sarah Dillon is a literary detective, hunting down the story behind the story of the writing of great works. Jean Rhys was the author of four novels in the late 20s and 30s when she disappeared off the literary map and was presumed dead. She spectacularly re-appeared with the publication of Wide Sargasso Sea, telling the back story of the first Mrs Rochester from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Published in 1966 when the author was in her 70s, the novel became an instant classic.

Sarah Dillon goes on a journey to find out why there was a 27 year gap between novels: she travels to the British Library to look at Rhys' original notebooks; talks to Carole Angier, Jean's biographer; and goes to meet Jean's publisher Diana Athill.

The struggle to bring the book to completion touches on poverty, death and a passionate desire for perfection.

In a new series, Sarah Dillon is a literary detective, hunting down the story behind the story of the writing of great works. Jean Rhys was the author of four novels in the late 20s and 30s when she disappeared off the literary map and was presumed dead. She spectacularly re-appeared with the publication of Wide Sargasso Sea, telling the back story of the first Mrs Rochester from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Published in 1966 when the author was in her 70s, the novel became an instant classic.

03

Jane Austen: Persuasion

20160529

Sarah Dillon discovers how Jane Austen's last completed novel, 'Persuasion' was written. The novel has sometimes been viewed as Austen's valedictory novel - written while she was suffering with her final illness. But Sarah Dillon uncovers a more complex story: dates of revisions on the manuscripts in the British Library confirm her sister's story that Persuasion was completed almost a year before Austen's death, but it was only published posthumously. By talking to Dr Kathryn Sutherland from St Anne's College, Oxford, Paula Byrne, author of 'The Real Jane Austen, A Life In Small Things' and writer Margaret Drabble, we go behind the scant details of Austen's life and uncover reasons for the delay: her last illness; the possibly personal inspirations for the plot of the novel; the state of her finances; her fascinating creative process; and the radical reaches and determination of her literary ambitions.

03

Sunday Feature

20160529

Sarah Dillon discovers how Jane Austen's last completed novel, 'Persuasion' was written. The novel has sometimes been viewed as Austen's valedictory novel - written while she was suffering with her final illness. But Sarah Dillon uncovers a more complex story: dates of revisions on the manuscripts in the British Library confirm her sister's story that Persuasion was completed almost a year before Austen's death, but it was only published posthumously. By talking to Dr Kathryn Sutherland from St Anne's College, Oxford, Paula Byrne, author of 'The Real Jane Austen, A Life In Small Things' and writer Margaret Drabble, we go behind the scant details of Austen's life and uncover reasons for the delay: her last illness; the possibly personal inspirations for the plot of the novel; the state of her finances; her fascinating creative process; and the radical reaches and determination of her literary ambitions.

04

James Joyce's Dubliners

20160605

20170829

Sarah Dillon recounts James Joyce's epic struggle to publish his first book, Dubliners.

James Joyce went to extraordinary lengths to publish his first book, Dubliners. He personally rescued the manuscript from fire, lost a major standoff with his publishers over revisions, orchestrated a press campaign, wrote a despairing letter to the king of England and left Ireland for good. Sarah Dillon recounts the story, investigates the manuscripts and sees how Joyce's astonishing literary career nearly fell at the first hurdle.

Reader: Damien MolonyProducer: James Cook.

James Joyce went to extraordinary lengths to publish first book, Dubliners. He personally rescued the manuscript from fire, lost a major standoff with his publishers over revisions, orchestrated a press campaign, wrote a despairing letter to the king of England and left Ireland for good. Sarah Dillon recounts the story, investigates the manuscripts and sees how Joyce astonishing literary career nearly fell at the first hurdle.

04

Sunday Feature

20160605

James Joyce went to extraordinary lengths to publish first book, Dubliners. He personally rescued the manuscript from fire, lost a major standoff with his publishers over revisions, orchestrated a press campaign, wrote a despairing letter to the king of England and left Ireland for good. Sarah Dillon recounts the story, investigates the manuscripts and sees how Joyce astonishing literary career nearly fell at the first hurdle.

01

01

Charles Dickens: Great Expectations

20160110

20170828

Sarah Dillon reveals a tale of money and passion behind Dickens's Great Expectations.

Sarah Dillon is a literary detective on the hunt for the story behind the story of how great works were written. She begins with Dickens's masterpiece, Great Expectations. Begun in 1860, Sarah asks why Dickens was writing it so fast - he finished it in nine and a half months - and why he famously changed the ending. The answers take her on a journey to Dickens's home in Gads Hill in Kent, the office of his magazine All The Year Round in Covent Garden and on a night-walk around the streets of London, where Dickens drew on the energy of the city as inspiration. Talking to Dickens biographer Michael Slater and scholars Juliet John from Royal Holloway and John Drew from the University of Buckingham, Sarah pieces together how Dickens's most private life is played out in the novel. And she uncovers the fascinating events behind the writing of it - including an urgent necessity for money, an overwhelming passion, and a relationship that goes to the heart of the deepest psychological needs that Dickens had.

Reader - Samuel West.

In a new series, Sarah Dillon is a literary detective on the hunt for the story behind the story of how great works were written. She begins with Dickens's masterpiece, Great Expectations.

Begun in 1860, Sarah asks why Dickens was writing it so fast - he finished it in nine and a half months - and why he famously changed the ending. The answers take her on a journey to Dickens's home in Gads Hill in Kent, the office of his magazine All The Year Round in Covent Garden and on a night-walk around the streets of London, where Dickens drew on the energy of the city as inspiration.

Talking to Dickens biographer Michael Slater and scholars Juliet John from Royal Holloway and John Drew from the University of Buckingham, Sarah pieces together how Dickens's most private life is played out in the novel.

And she uncovers the fascinating events behind the writing of it - including an urgent necessity for money, an overwhelming passion, and a relationship that goes to the heart of the deepest psychological needs that Dickens had.

01

02

Jean Rhys: Wide Sargasso Sea

20160117

20170402 (R3)

Sarah Dillon is a literary detective, hunting down the story behind the story of the writing of great works. Jean Rhys was the author of four novels in the late 20s and 30s when she disappeared off the literary map and was presumed dead. She spectacularly re-appeared with the publication of Wide Sargasso Sea, telling the back story of the first Mrs Rochester from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Published in 1966 when the author was in her 70s, the novel became an instant classic.

Sarah Dillon goes on a journey to find out why there was a 27 year gap between novels: she travels to the British Library to look at Rhys' original notebooks; talks to Carole Angier, Jean's biographer; and goes to meet Jean's publisher Diana Athill.

The struggle to bring the book to completion touches on poverty, death and a passionate desire for perfection.

In a new series, Sarah Dillon is a literary detective, hunting down the story behind the story of the writing of great works. Jean Rhys was the author of four novels in the late 20s and 30s when she disappeared off the literary map and was presumed dead. She spectacularly re-appeared with the publication of Wide Sargasso Sea, telling the back story of the first Mrs Rochester from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Published in 1966 when the author was in her 70s, the novel became an instant classic.

Episodes

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Episode

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Sunday Feature

20160110

In a new series, Sarah Dillon is a literary detective on the hunt for the story behind the story of how great works were written. She begins with Dickens's masterpiece, Great Expectations.

Begun in 1860, Sarah asks why Dickens was writing it so fast - he finished it in nine and a half months - and why he famously changed the ending. The answers take her on a journey to Dickens's home in Gads Hill in Kent, the office of his magazine All The Year Round in Covent Garden and on a night-walk around the streets of London, where Dickens drew on the energy of the city as inspiration.

Talking to Dickens biographer Michael Slater and scholars Juliet John from Royal Holloway and John Drew from the University of Buckingham, Sarah pieces together how Dickens's most private life is played out in the novel.

And she uncovers the fascinating events behind the writing of it - including an urgent necessity for money, an overwhelming passion, and a relationship that goes to the heart of the deepest psychological needs that Dickens had.

Sunday Feature

20160117

20170402 (R3)

Sarah Dillon is a literary detective, hunting down the story behind the story of the writing of great works. Jean Rhys was the author of four novels in the late 20s and 30s when she disappeared off the literary map and was presumed dead. She spectacularly re-appeared with the publication of Wide Sargasso Sea, telling the back story of the first Mrs Rochester from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Published in 1966 when the author was in her 70s, the novel became an instant classic.

Sarah Dillon goes on a journey to find out why there was a 27 year gap between novels: she travels to the British Library to look at Rhys' original notebooks; talks to Carole Angier, Jean's biographer; and goes to meet Jean's publisher Diana Athill.

The struggle to bring the book to completion touches on poverty, death and a passionate desire for perfection.

In a new series, Sarah Dillon is a literary detective, hunting down the story behind the story of the writing of great works. Jean Rhys was the author of four novels in the late 20s and 30s when she disappeared off the literary map and was presumed dead. She spectacularly re-appeared with the publication of Wide Sargasso Sea, telling the back story of the first Mrs Rochester from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Published in 1966 when the author was in her 70s, the novel became an instant classic.

03

Jane Austen: Persuasion

20160529

Sarah Dillon discovers how Jane Austen's last completed novel, 'Persuasion' was written. The novel has sometimes been viewed as Austen's valedictory novel - written while she was suffering with her final illness. But Sarah Dillon uncovers a more complex story: dates of revisions on the manuscripts in the British Library confirm her sister's story that Persuasion was completed almost a year before Austen's death, but it was only published posthumously. By talking to Dr Kathryn Sutherland from St Anne's College, Oxford, Paula Byrne, author of 'The Real Jane Austen, A Life In Small Things' and writer Margaret Drabble, we go behind the scant details of Austen's life and uncover reasons for the delay: her last illness; the possibly personal inspirations for the plot of the novel; the state of her finances; her fascinating creative process; and the radical reaches and determination of her literary ambitions.

03

Sunday Feature

20160529

Sarah Dillon discovers how Jane Austen's last completed novel, 'Persuasion' was written. The novel has sometimes been viewed as Austen's valedictory novel - written while she was suffering with her final illness. But Sarah Dillon uncovers a more complex story: dates of revisions on the manuscripts in the British Library confirm her sister's story that Persuasion was completed almost a year before Austen's death, but it was only published posthumously. By talking to Dr Kathryn Sutherland from St Anne's College, Oxford, Paula Byrne, author of 'The Real Jane Austen, A Life In Small Things' and writer Margaret Drabble, we go behind the scant details of Austen's life and uncover reasons for the delay: her last illness; the possibly personal inspirations for the plot of the novel; the state of her finances; her fascinating creative process; and the radical reaches and determination of her literary ambitions.

04

James Joyce's Dubliners

20160605

20170829

Sarah Dillon recounts James Joyce's epic struggle to publish his first book, Dubliners.

James Joyce went to extraordinary lengths to publish his first book, Dubliners. He personally rescued the manuscript from fire, lost a major standoff with his publishers over revisions, orchestrated a press campaign, wrote a despairing letter to the king of England and left Ireland for good. Sarah Dillon recounts the story, investigates the manuscripts and sees how Joyce's astonishing literary career nearly fell at the first hurdle.

Reader: Damien MolonyProducer: James Cook.

James Joyce went to extraordinary lengths to publish first book, Dubliners. He personally rescued the manuscript from fire, lost a major standoff with his publishers over revisions, orchestrated a press campaign, wrote a despairing letter to the king of England and left Ireland for good. Sarah Dillon recounts the story, investigates the manuscripts and sees how Joyce astonishing literary career nearly fell at the first hurdle.

04

Sunday Feature

20160605

James Joyce went to extraordinary lengths to publish first book, Dubliners. He personally rescued the manuscript from fire, lost a major standoff with his publishers over revisions, orchestrated a press campaign, wrote a despairing letter to the king of England and left Ireland for good. Sarah Dillon recounts the story, investigates the manuscripts and sees how Joyce astonishing literary career nearly fell at the first hurdle.

01

01

Charles Dickens: Great Expectations

20160110

20170828

Sarah Dillon reveals a tale of money and passion behind Dickens's Great Expectations.

Sarah Dillon is a literary detective on the hunt for the story behind the story of how great works were written. She begins with Dickens's masterpiece, Great Expectations. Begun in 1860, Sarah asks why Dickens was writing it so fast - he finished it in nine and a half months - and why he famously changed the ending. The answers take her on a journey to Dickens's home in Gads Hill in Kent, the office of his magazine All The Year Round in Covent Garden and on a night-walk around the streets of London, where Dickens drew on the energy of the city as inspiration. Talking to Dickens biographer Michael Slater and scholars Juliet John from Royal Holloway and John Drew from the University of Buckingham, Sarah pieces together how Dickens's most private life is played out in the novel. And she uncovers the fascinating events behind the writing of it - including an urgent necessity for money, an overwhelming passion, and a relationship that goes to the heart of the deepest psychological needs that Dickens had.

Reader - Samuel West.

In a new series, Sarah Dillon is a literary detective on the hunt for the story behind the story of how great works were written. She begins with Dickens's masterpiece, Great Expectations.

Begun in 1860, Sarah asks why Dickens was writing it so fast - he finished it in nine and a half months - and why he famously changed the ending. The answers take her on a journey to Dickens's home in Gads Hill in Kent, the office of his magazine All The Year Round in Covent Garden and on a night-walk around the streets of London, where Dickens drew on the energy of the city as inspiration.

Talking to Dickens biographer Michael Slater and scholars Juliet John from Royal Holloway and John Drew from the University of Buckingham, Sarah pieces together how Dickens's most private life is played out in the novel.

And she uncovers the fascinating events behind the writing of it - including an urgent necessity for money, an overwhelming passion, and a relationship that goes to the heart of the deepest psychological needs that Dickens had.

01

02

Jean Rhys: Wide Sargasso Sea

20160117

20170402 (R3)

Sarah Dillon is a literary detective, hunting down the story behind the story of the writing of great works. Jean Rhys was the author of four novels in the late 20s and 30s when she disappeared off the literary map and was presumed dead. She spectacularly re-appeared with the publication of Wide Sargasso Sea, telling the back story of the first Mrs Rochester from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Published in 1966 when the author was in her 70s, the novel became an instant classic.

Sarah Dillon goes on a journey to find out why there was a 27 year gap between novels: she travels to the British Library to look at Rhys' original notebooks; talks to Carole Angier, Jean's biographer; and goes to meet Jean's publisher Diana Athill.

The struggle to bring the book to completion touches on poverty, death and a passionate desire for perfection.

In a new series, Sarah Dillon is a literary detective, hunting down the story behind the story of the writing of great works. Jean Rhys was the author of four novels in the late 20s and 30s when she disappeared off the literary map and was presumed dead. She spectacularly re-appeared with the publication of Wide Sargasso Sea, telling the back story of the first Mrs Rochester from Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. Published in 1966 when the author was in her 70s, the novel became an instant classic.